August, 2021 - We Are Training 4 Life

“Powerful things happen when you start putting in the work to achieve your goals. You become addicted to the progress and fall in love with the process.”

You are a Warrior

You wake up early to tackle your morning run. You hit the gym after a long day at work. You make time to fit in your workout because you have mad goals.

But what you’re NOT doing may just be setting you up for failure.

What you’re NOT doing can end up having long-term negative effects on your body.

What you’re NOT doing could be hindering your progress and keep you from reaching your goals.

Yup. You guessed it. The Post-Run Stretch.

We've All Been There

It’s easy to get so caught up in hitting goals in the actual workout that we decide that it’s no big deal to just ‘skip’ the stretching.

Or we determine we are running out of time and promise ourselves we will stretch ‘later’, which we never do.

Let’s face it, we’ve all been there.

The truth is, trying to reach our athletic goals without including stretching in our routine is like trying to bake a cake without adding the flour. That cake is going to fall flat. Just as flour is essential in getting that cake to rise, stretching is essential in ensuring that our bodies function properly and rise to the occasion of reaching our highest potential, not only now, but in the future as well.

Lies We Tell Ourselves

I know what you’re thinking. I’ve told myself those same lies in the past.

Lies we tell ourselves about stretching:

I don’t have time
I’ll do it later
Stretching is boring and unnecessary

(Insert eyeroll here)

Truth is, the older I get, the more I realize how important those stretches actually are.

You know what’s boring? Not being able to run or exercise due to injury, tightness, and fatigue brought on by not spending those 5 short minutes after a run stretching the body that just provided me with that gift of movement.

To Stretch, or Not To Stretch...Is there really a Question?

Nope!

Post-Run Stretching Results in:

Increased blood flow to muscles and joints
Improvement in flexibility and range of motion
Reduced soreness and tight muscles
Prevention of pain and stiffness
Overall calm and relief of tension

Results of Not Stretching:

Reduced mobility in joints and muscles
Increased risk of injury
More vulnerable to muscle pain and tightness

The list goes on and on but in the end, as runners, all we really need to hear is that post-run stretching can help us remain injury-free and active in the sport that we love for years to come.

My Top 10 Post-Run Stretches

The benefits of stretching already warm muscles at the end of a run or workout are exponential.

To make it easy for you, I’ve compiled my Top 10 Post-Run Stretches. And the best part is, these stretches will only take about 5 minutes to complete.

So, set goals, work hard, and get that stretching done. Remember to focus on proper form, stretch gently, and never bounce or “over-stretch”.

*Always consult a physician when starting any new exercise program.